Chronology of Malaysian Expressway System events
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This is a chronology of major events in the Malaysian Expressway System.
| Date | Events | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Jalan Universiti and Jalan Gasing were the first dual-carriageway road in Malaysia since independence. | |
| 1967 | Federal Highway Route 2, which is the first dual-carriageway highway in Malaysia was opened to traffic. It connects Port Swettenham (now Port Klang) to Kuala Lumpur. | Length : 45 kilometres |
| Early 1970s | The idea to built a bridge linking Seberang Perai to Penang Island was suggested by the late Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. | |
| 1974 | The Tanjung Malim-Slim River tolled road (Federal Route 1), Malaysia's first tolled expressway was opened to traffic. | Length : 20 kilometres |
| End of 1970s | The Penang Bridge was planned during the term of third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn. | |
| June 1977 | The construction of the North-South Expressway had begun. | |
| 1979 | Opening of the Genting Sempah Tunnel and Karak Highway. | Length : 60 kilometres |
| 24 October 1980 | Constitution of the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) | Established by Act of Parliament as a statutory body in 1981 |
| 23 July 1981 | Works Minister S. Samy Vellu announced that the Penang Bridge, Penang would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. | |
| 2 January 1982 | All roads, highways and expressways in Malaysia are now switched to the Metric unit of kilometres replacing Imperial unit of miles. | |
| 16 June 1982 | Official opening of the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway | Length : 47 kilometres |
| 1982 | Construction of the Penang Bridge officially began | |
| 1 April 1985 | Official Opening of the Bukit Kayu Hitam – Jitra Highway | Length : 24 kilometres |
| 3 August 1985 | Official opening of the Penang Bridge | YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad Length : 13.5 kilometres |
| 14 September 1985 | Penang Bridge is officially opened to traffic. | |
| 2 November 1985 | Official Opening of the Senai – Johor Bahru Highway | Length : 25 kilometres |
| 27 June 1986 | Formation of Highway Concessionnaires Berhad, the first highway concessionaire in Malaysia | |
| 13 August 1987 | Official Opening of the Seremban – Ayer Keroh Highway and the closing of the old Seremban Toll Plaza near Labu | Length : 68.4 kilometres |
| 28 September 1987 | Official Opening of the Ipoh – Changkat Jering Highway | Length : 53.4 kilometres |
| 13 May 1988 | Highway Concessionaires Berhad changes its name to Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Berhad (PLUS) | |
| 6 June 1988 | Official Opening of the Jitra – Gurun Highway | Length : 59 kilometres |
| 1 April 1989 | Official Opening of the Ayer Keroh – Pagoh Highway | Length : 54.4 kilometres |
| 1 April 1990 | First Malaysian highway patrol "PLUSRonda Patrol Unit" formed | To assist users stranded on highways |
| 7 December 1990 | Official Opening of the Bukit Raja – Damansara Highway | Length : 21.1 kilometres |
| 14 April 1991 | Official Opening of the Gurun – Sungai Petani (S) Highway | Length : 24.8 kilometres |
| 28 March 1992 | Official Opening of the Damansara – Rawang Highway | Length : 28.4 kilometres |
| 1 August 1992 | Official Opening of the Rawang – Tanjung Malim Highway | Length : 43 kilometres |
| 1 October 1992 | Official Opening of the Yong Peng (N) – Pagoh Highway | Length : 47 kilometres |
| 1 January 1993 | The Malaysian Highway Network Development Plan blueprint is launched | |
| 11 January 1993 | Official Opening of the Bukit Lanjan – Jalan Duta Highway and the New Klang Valley Expressway | YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad Total Length : 35 kilometres Bukit Lanjan – Jalan Duta Highway |
| 25 June 1993 | Official Opening of the Simpang Pulai – Gopeng Highway | Length : 10 kilometres |
| 12 August 1993 | Official Opening of the Yong Peng (N) – Machap Highway | Length : 26.7 kilometres |
| 17 August 1993 | Official Opening of the Sungai Petani (S) – Butterworth Highway | Length : 28.5 kilometres |
| 1 October 1993 | Official Opening of the Tapah – Tanjung Malim Highway | Length : 72.5 kilometres |
| 1 November 1993 | Official Opening of the Sedenak – Skudai Highway | Length : 27.6 kilometres |
| 14 November 1993 | Official Opening of the Federal Highway Route 2 tolled highway Batu Tiga - Sungai Rasau | Length : 15 kilometres |
| 8 January 1994 | Official Opening of the Machap – Sedenak Highway | Length : 31.7 kilometres |
| 8 January 1994 | Official Opening of the Skudai – Johor Bahru Highway | Length : 17.3 kilometres |
| 16 January 1994 | Official Opening of the Ipoh Selatan – Simpang Pulai Highway | Length : 13.6 kilometres |
| 5 February 1994 | Official Opening of the Juru – Changkat Jering Highway | Length : 79.5 kilometres |
| 7 February 1994 | Official Opening of the Gopeng – Tapah Highway | Last stretch Length : 30.3 kilometres Completed 15 months ahead of schedule |
| 1 March 1994 | The construction of the North-South Expressway Central Link began | |
| 22 March 1994 | Construction of the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link officially began | |
| 8 September 1994 | Official Opening of the North-South Expressway | YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad Length : 966 kilometres |
| August 1994 | Official opening of the Salak Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| September 1994 | Official launch of the PLUS TAG, the first electronic payment system (EPS) in Malaysia | From Rawang to Bukit Raja on North South Expressway Northern Route and NKVE From Sungai Rasau to Batu Tiga on Federal Highway Route 2 (FHR2) |
| 11 March 1996 | Official Opening of the Sungai Buloh Overhead Bridge Restaurant | First Overhead Bridge Restauant in Malaysia opened on NSE |
| June 1996 | Official opening of the Seafield - Sri Petaling sections of the Shah Alam Expressway and the Shah Alam - USJ sections of the North-South Expressway Central Link. | |
| 18 March 1997 | The Official launch of the Touch 'n Go Electronic Payment System (EPS) | |
| October 1997 | Official Opening of the Shah Alam Expressway and the North-South Expressway Central Link. | Shah Alam Expressway Length : kilometres North-South Expressway Central Link |
| November 1997 | Karak Highway is upgraded to a four-lane expressway | |
| 18 April 1998 | Official Opening of the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (including the Tuas Checkpoint on the Singapore side, Sultan Abu Bakar Custom, Immigration and Quarantine Checkpoint and Second Link Expressway on the Malaysia side) | YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Goh Chok Tong Length : kilometres |
| June 1998 | Official opening of the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 17 October 1998 | PLUSRonda is the first highway patrol in Malaysia to be given Auxiliary Police power. | |
| 15 January 1999 | Official opening of the Cheras - Kajang Expressway | Length : 11.5 kilometres |
| February 1999 | Official opening of the Damansara-Puchong Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 15 March 1999 | Official launching of Smart TAG on-board unit (OBU) and lanes on NSE replaced PLUS TAG | 21 plazas from Bukit Beruntung to Senawang |
| 11 April 1999 | Official opening of the Ayer Keroh Overhead Bridge Restaurant | Second OBR opened on NSE |
| 15 May 1999 | Official opening of the Sungai Besi Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 1 February 2000 | Construction of the East Coast Expressway began. | |
| 4 February 2000 | First Drive-Through Purchase and Refill Touch ‘n Go card lane (POS) opened on NSE (Subang Toll Plaza) | TNG users can refill and purchase new TNG card directly from the lane without the hassle of going to customer service centres. |
| 15 March 2000 | TNG POS lane opened at Batu Tiga Toll Plaza | |
| April 2000 | Official opening of Galeri Seni Art on PLUS | Ayer Keroh OBR First art gallery on highway |
| 2 May 2000 | TNG POS lane opened at Sungai Besi Toll Plaza | |
| August 2000 | SmartTAG lanes opened at five more toll plazas | Allow users to use SmartTAG from North to South Sungai Dua, Juru, Jelapang, Ipoh Selatan and Skudai toll plazas |
| 8 August 2000 | TNG POS lane opened at Ipoh Selatan, Damansara, Rawang, Sungai Buloh, Bukit Raja, Sungai Rasau and Kajang toll plazas. | |
| 14 October 2000 | Ekspres Travel Shoppe Official Opening at Sungai Buloh OBR | First travel and souvenir shop selling highway-related items |
| 15 February 2001 | Official opening of Putra Mahkota Interchange | 5 lanes (including 2 TNG lanes) |
| 17 May 2001 | Official opening of the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) | Length : kilometres |
| 10 June 2001 | ELITE Fasttrack Speedzone Opening | First Go-Kart Track on Highway |
| 16 June 2001 | Ekspres Travel Shoppe at Tapah R&R Opening Ceremony | 2nd E’Shoppe on NSE |
| 12 July 2001 | Official opening of the Kerinchi Link and Damansara Link on the Sprint Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 29 January 2002 | PLUS Expressways incorporated in Malaysia as the Public Company | PLUS Expressways is a holding company with a single wholly-owned subsidiary, PLUS. |
| 6 May 2002 | Launch of Spectacular Advertising Board at Sungai Besi | Largest Advertising Board on Highway |
| 13 July 2002 | Brick ceremony of the Pendang Interchange | Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia |
| 30 October 2002 | Old Nilai Toll Plaza Closed | 12 midnight |
| 31 October 2002 | New Nilai Interchange Opened | 12:01 am To replace old Nilai Toll Plaza RM49.77 million Location: KM 283.5 12 lanes Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan Dato’ Seri Utama Tan Sri Hj Mohd Isa Dato’ Hj Abdul Samad |
| 31 October 2002 | Touch ‘n Go auto-reload facility relaunched | |
| 14 February 2003 | The Southern Integrated Gateway (New CIQ complex and new bridge) in Johor Bahru is officially launched by the then Malaysian prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. | |
| March 2003 | Official opening of the Kota Damansara Interchange | Alternative access to Kota Damansara and Mutiara Damansara |
| March 2003 | The Jalan Kuching Toll Plaza was officially closed | |
| 1 September 2003 | ELITE and Linkedua are now under PLUS Expressways Berhad | |
| February 2004 | The Jalan Cheras Toll Plaza was officially closed | |
| March 2004 | The Senai Toll Plaza was officially closed | |
| 22 April 2004 | Official opening of the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 Karak - Kuantan | DYMM Sultan of Pahang Length : kilometres |
| May 2004 | Official opening of the Penchala Link on the Sprint Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 1 July 2004 | The electronic payment system, Touch 'n Go and Smart TAG, have been made compulsory in all expressways. Other EPS toll systems like FasTrak (Gamuda Expressway Networks) and SagaTag (Cheras - Kajang Expressway) were abolished | |
| 8 July 2004 | Official opening of the Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK) | Length : kilometres |
| 11 July 2004 | Official opening of the New Pantai Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| 13 August 2004 | The Jalan Pahang Toll Plaza was officially closed | |
| July 2005 | Official opening of the Guthrie Corridor Expressway | Length : kilometres |
| September 2005 | Official opening of the Butterworth Outer Ring Road | Length : kilometres |
| 12 April 2006 | Construction of the new Tanjung Puteri road bridge replacing the Malaysian side of causeway was cancelled | To avoid implication laws between two countries. |
| June 2006 | Tapah RSA (both directions) in Perak is the first rest and service area in the Malaysian expressway to have wireless broadband internet facilities was launched | |
| 14 July 2006 | Official opening of the Setia Alam Interchange and Shah Alam-Meru Highway | Alternative access to Setia Alam, Meru and Kapar |
| August 2006 | The Malaysian federal government plans to build the Penang Second Bridge in the Ninth Malaysia Plan | To slove the congestion of the Penang Bridge. |
| 18 October 2006 | Official Opening of the Pendang Interchange | Alternative access to Pendang and Kota Sarang Semut |
| 12 November 2006 | The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Penang Second Bridge | Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
| 2 April 2007 | Official Opening of the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) Traffic Management Centre (LLM TMC) | Minister of Works Dato' Seri S Samy Vellu |
| 14 April 2007 | Opening of the motorway tunnel sections for the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel) | 3:00 pm Length : 4 kilometres To solve the problem of flash floods in Kuala Lumpur and also to reduce traffic jams along Jalan Sungai Besi and Yew flyover at Pudu during rush hour. |
| 15 July 2007 | The second part of the East Coast Expressway Phase 1, the Sri Jaya Interchange and Jabur Interchange was opened | |
| August 2007 | The completion of upgrading works on North-South Expressway including:- Rawang-Slim River six-lane carriageway, and Seremban-Ayer Keroh six-lane carriageway | |
| September 2007 | The construction of the Shah Alam-Kemuning Highway | 14.7 kilometres Linking Shah Alam to Kota Kemuning |
| 1 October 2007 | The construction of the JB Eastern Dispersal Link | Length: 7 kilometres The new expressway linking Pandan Interchange on North-South Expressway to the new CIQ complex (Southern Integrated Gateway) |
| 10 October 2007 | Opening of the Pontian-Johor Bahru Parkway (Pontian Link) | Length 2.7 kilometres Linking Pulai Interchange to Ulu Choh-Gelang Patah Interchange |
| 13 December 2007 | Opening of the Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway | Length: 42 kilometres The main backbone of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) |
| 5 March 2008 | Official opening of the Bandar Saujana Putra Interchange | |
| 18 March 2008 | Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE) has now under PLUS Expressways Berhad | |
| 7 June 2008 | The new Ipoh North toll plaza (South bound) replacing old Jelapang toll plaza is now opened to traffic. | |
| Upcoming event June 2008 |
Opening of the new CIQ Complex and short-term access (STA) temporary road (Southern Integrated Gateway) in Johor Bahru | the largest CIQ complex in Malaysia |
| Upcoming event June 2008 |
Opening of the Senai-Desaru Expressway Phase 1 and 2: Senai - Pasir Gudang |
Length: -- kilometres |
| Upcoming event December 2008 |
Opening of the Senai-Desaru Expressway Phase 3: Pasir Gudang - Desaru and Sungai Johor Bridge |
Length: -- kilometres |
